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Eight people, including Prince Ntambu, have been arrested in Kalumbila in connection with the mob killing of 46-year-old Eneless Hellen Kamutumbe.
The incident was reported at around 14:00 hours by Mwalede Siamuchimba, aged 39, of Solwezi, who stated that his cousin Kamutumbe had been fatally assaulted by a mob.
Preliminary investigations indicate that Kamutumbe had travelled to Kisasa for business purposes. Around 11:00 hours, a 25-year-old male, identified as Prince Ntambu, allegedly accused the deceased of causing the disappearance of his private parts following physical contact at a local market.
According to Chipo Kaitissha, Deputy Public Relations Officer for the Zambia Police Service, the allegation sparked panic, which led to a commotion and the formation of a mob.
The crowd violently attacked Kamutumbe using sticks, stones, planks, and other objects, inflicting multiple serious injuries.
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“Efforts to move the victim to safety were unsuccessful as the situation escalated. The victim was briefly taken to a nearby house, where she received assistance from a concerned member of the public,” Kaitissha said.
She added that police officers who responded to the scene encountered a hostile crowd that threw stones and obstructed rescue efforts. Despite attempts to evacuate Kamutumbe, the mob continued the assault, ultimately resulting in her death.
The body was later retrieved by police reinforcements after it had been abandoned along the Mwinilunga–Solwezi Roadby the mob. Kamutumbe was rushed to Wumi Mini Hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival. The body has since been deposited in the hospital mortuary awaiting a postmortem examination.
Meanwhile, eight suspects, including Prince Ntambu and other individuals from the Kisasa area, have been apprehended and are assisting police with ongoing investigations.
During the incident, three police officers sustained injuries after being attacked by members of the public, and a police vehicle was damaged, with its front windscreen shattered.
“The Zambia Police Service strongly condemns this act of mob justice, as well as the violence directed at law enforcement officers,” Kaitissha said, urging members of the public to remain calm and report suspected criminal activities to the police rather than taking the law into their own hands.
Investigations into the matter have been instituted, and further updates will be provided in due course.
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